2008 Washington Football Preview:
Head Coach: Tyrone Willingham
The University of Washington Huskies football program is one of the most storied in all of college football. The Huskies have fallen on some hard times of late. Head coach Tyrone Willingham heading into his 4th season in 2008 will need to make progress this season or he could find himself looking for a new job. Staff changes have already been made and recruiting has been stellar. Husky Stadium will roar this year as the Huskies fight to climb their way back into Pac-10 contention and turn around an ailing program.
The Washington Huskies are bringing back 14 starters from last year's squad, hoping to best their disappointing 2007 season record of 2-7. However, the team's roster is composed mostly of young players, and this team will be one to watch a year or two down the road as the roster matures. Notable offensive players to watch in the 2008 Huskies season are sophomore quarterback Jake Locker and receivers Chris Polk (freshman) and D'Andre Goodwin (sophomore). In 2007, Locker threw for 2,062 yards with 14 touchdowns, and rushed for 986 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Huskies' defensive line will be a little shaky this season, as the only returning lineman is defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim. No other Huskies lineman has more than 2 tackles, which will require the rookies to step-up their defensive play. As with the Huskies' offense, there is plenty of young defensive talent that is waiting to explode from this 2008 Washington Huskies team.